The present invention relates to a cabinet and, more particularly, to a cabinet structure for enclosing a water softening system.
Water softeners suitable for home use typically include a resin tank which contains a quantity of water treating resin. Water supplied to the home passes through the resin tank where, by an ion exchange process, various metal ions are removed from the water, thus softening it. After a predetermined quantity of water has been treated by passing it through the resin tank, the resin must be reconditioned by a regeneration process to remove the metal ions from the resin. In order to regenerate the resin, a brine solution is circulated through the resin tank and therafter discharged into the drain system for the home. It is common for the brine solution to be stored in a brine storage tank. From time to time, the homeowner will place a quantity of salt pellets or crystals in the tank which will be dissolved by the water in the tank, thus forming the brine solution.
Two primary physical arrangements for home softener systems have been utilized in the past. In a first type of system, sometimes termed a "tank-in-tank" system, the resin tank is positioned within the brine tank. Such an arrangement provides a neat, attractive appearance, and if it is desirable that the softener be enclosed within a softener cabinet, as in the case where the softener is placed in an area in the home frequently seen by residents and visitors, only a single cabinet structure need be provided. The tank-in-tank type of system is somewhat disadvantageous, however, in that the resin tank will be connected to the plumbing system in the home, thereby rendering it immovable. When it is desired to clean the brine tank in such a system, therefore, it is not possible to move the brine tank outside the house, nor to tip the tank on its side for removal of foreign matter which has accumulated, without disconnecting the plumbing fittings associated with the softener valves. The only other way in which the brine tank may be cleaned is by means of a vacuum cleaner of the type capable of vacuuming liquids.
Another type of prior art softener system for home use includes separate tanks for storing brine solution and water treatment resin. The brine in such a system is typically withdrawn from the brine tank by means of a flexible plastic tube which is inserted into the tank and which is connected to the softener valve structure. A collar or foot extends around the lower portion of the resin tank to permit it to be free standing. This configuration, sometimes termed a "side-by-side" softener system, is advantageous in that the brine tank may be easily removed from the rest of the softener system and taken elsewhere for cleaning.
A side-by-side water softener system, however, does not present as pleasing an appearance as a tank-in-tank softener system. In the past, if a side-by-side system were to be enclosed within cabinetry, two cabinets would necessarily be required, one cabinet for the brine tank and a second cabinet for the resin tank. Clearly, such a dual cabinet arrangement is not aesthetically appealing, and further, adds an undesirable expense to the cost of the softener system. Additionally, since resin tanks vary in diameter, depending on the treatment capacity of the system, a number of cabinets of various sizes would have to be manufactured to accommodate the different resin tank diameters. In general, however, side-by-side units have not been installed within cabinets and, therefore, have been relegated to portions of the home, such as the basement or utility room, where the appearance of the units is not a significant drawback.
Accordingly, a need exists for a simply constructed aesthetically pleasing cabinet structure for housing the free standing resin tank and associated brine tank in a side-by-side softener system.